# Oscar Piastri and Mark Webber part ways: the 2022 rebellion that put him at McLaren

> Piastri and the management team led by Mark Webber have mutually ended their agreement. Here is what each side said, how Webber shaped his career, and what is still unknown.

Sport · Binatec Pulse · David Banjo · Published 2026-11-09T18:06:12.000Z · Updated 2026-11-09T16:45:10Z

Canonical: https://pulse.binatecagency.com/sport/oscar-piastri-mark-webber-split-what-it-means

## Key points

- Piastri and the Webbers announced they had mutually agreed to end their management agreement on the Monday after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
- Webber's biggest move was the 2022 McLaren switch after Piastri rejected Alpine's 2023 announcement.
- The Webbers had already stepped back from trackside duties in 2026.
- No new manager has been named and neither side gave a reason beyond the shared statements.

Oscar Piastri and Mark Webber have ended their management relationship after seven years. [Formula 1's own report](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/piastri-and-management-team-mutually-terminate-agreement.a59N6pYIBGSiFmwMY1Xkk) says a joint statement issued on the Monday after the Sao Paulo Grand Prix said the two sides had "mutually agreed to terminate their management agreement". The management team was led by Webber and his partner Ann Webber (listed by [The Race](https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/oscar-piastri-mark-webber-f1-management-split/) as Ann Neal).

The timing is awkward for the McLaren driver. [Sky Sports reports](https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/13610108/oscar-piastri-mclaren-driver-splits-from-mark-webber-management-after-sao-paulo-grand-prix-in-brazil) that the news came after another disappointing weekend in which Piastri finished sixth, 56 seconds behind team-mate and race winner Lando Norris, and that he is seventh in the Drivers' Championship.

## What did Piastri and Webber say about the split?

Piastri thanked Mark and Ann Webber "for all their support and advice over the years", said their guidance had been invaluable in the early years of his F1 career, and wished them well, according to [Formula 1](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/piastri-and-management-team-mutually-terminate-agreement.a59N6pYIBGSiFmwMY1Xkk).

Webber, a former Red Bull, Williams and Jaguar driver, said the pair were proud of the central role they played in the formative years of Oscar's career. He added that, following the team's reduced trackside involvement this season, "we have collectively agreed that now is an appropriate time to bring our management agreement to a close", allowing Piastri to "build on his achievements under a new management structure".

Neither statement gives a reason beyond that. No source has reported a dispute, and The Race notes that whether there was serious tension between McLaren and Piastri's camp has never been directly addressed by either party. Anything beyond the statements is speculation.

## How did Mark Webber shape Piastri's career?

The Webbers started working with Piastri in 2019, the year he won the Formula Renault Eurocup and joined Renault's junior programme, [according to Formula 1](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/piastri-and-management-team-mutually-terminate-agreement.a59N6pYIBGSiFmwMY1Xkk). Piastri then won the FIA Formula 3 title in 2020 and the Formula 2 title in 2021.

The decisive moment came in 2022. [Sky Sports recounts](https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/13610108/oscar-piastri-mclaren-driver-splits-from-mark-webber-management-after-sao-paulo-grand-prix-in-brazil) that Alpine announced Piastri would drive for them in 2023, and he rejected the announcement. The dispute went to a hearing at the FIA Contract Recognition Board, which ruled against Alpine, and McLaren soon confirmed Piastri would replace the outgoing Daniel Ricciardo from 2023.

The Race credits Webber with pushing for the McLaren move at a time when Alpine had not put Piastri on the grid, calling it a switch that "stunned Alpine and the F1 paddock" and lifted him out of a likely midfield or backmarker career. It also notes that Piastri finished on the podium as a rookie, took his first wins in 2024 and narrowly missed the world championship in 2025.

## Why had the relationship already changed in 2026?

Both Sky Sports and The Race report that Webber had stepped back from the front line before this season. [The Race adds](https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/oscar-piastri-mark-webber-f1-management-split/) that Webber used to be a regular in the paddock, but that in 2026 the arrangement moved "behind the scenes", with Piastri describing it in pre-season testing as "just taking a bit of a step back, that's all".

The same report recalls that Webber was unimpressed last season by how McLaren balanced the title fight between Piastri and Norris, and that Piastri management secured a new multi-year deal in March last year. Whether any of that fed into the split is not stated by either side.

## What happens next for Piastri?

The statements point to a new management structure for Piastri, but neither names who will represent him. Pulse will not guess. For fans, the immediate question is on-track: Formula 1 next goes to Las Vegas on November 20-22, according to Sky Sports, with Piastri seventh in the standings.

A driver's management does not set the car's performance, so the split changes nothing at McLaren by itself. What it does change is who negotiates his contract, sponsors and image rights when the next deal comes round. The Race says Piastri's multi-year deal gave him a window to leave anyway if he wanted one, which is why the story is worth watching beyond one race weekend.

We will update this story when Piastri's camp or McLaren names a new management team.

For readers following the title picture, it is also worth remembering how 2025 ended for Piastri. The Race describes a championship-wrecking slump in the final quarter of that season, and says Webber was unhappy with how McLaren handled the contest between its two drivers. That history does not explain this split, but it is part of the background to a relationship that began when Piastri was still a junior and has now ended with him established as a nine-time Grand Prix winner.

## Questions people are asking

### Why did Oscar Piastri split from Mark Webber?

Neither side has given a reason beyond a joint statement saying they mutually agreed to end the agreement, following the Webbers' reduced trackside involvement in 2026.

### How long did Mark Webber manage Oscar Piastri?

They started working together in 2019, around seven years, according to Sky Sports and Formula 1.

### Who manages Oscar Piastri now?

No new manager has been announced. Piastri's statement and Webber's both refer to a new management structure.

### Where is Oscar Piastri in the 2026 championship?

Sky Sports reports he is seventh in the Drivers' Championship after finishing sixth in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

## Sources

1. [Piastri and management team mutually terminate agreement](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/piastri-and-management-team-mutually-terminate-agreement.a59N6pYIBGSiFmwMY1Xkk), Formula 1
2. [Oscar Piastri: McLaren driver splits from Mark Webber management after Sao Paulo Grand Prix in Brazil](https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/13610108/oscar-piastri-mclaren-driver-splits-from-mark-webber-management-after-sao-paulo-grand-prix-in-brazil), Sky Sports
3. [Piastri splits with Webber's F1 management team](https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/oscar-piastri-mark-webber-f1-management-split/), The Race